This 3rd Informal Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Manila set from Nov. 24-28 will be historic for two reasons.

One, it will be the last summit of the Asean leaders before the world crosses into the next millennium.

Two, it will be the first time Asean finance ministers will join their foreign affairs and economic ministers in a joint ministerial meeting (JMM).

Established in August 1967, originally by five founding states, Asean now includes all 10 countries comprising the entire Southeast Asian region.

Asean's founding members are the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darrusalam was admitted into the regional bloc in 1994, followed by Vietnam in 1996.

In 1997, Laos and Myanmar were admitted into the group while Cambodia was finally admitted only this year after complying with the remaining requirements set by the Asean leaders in their 6th summit in Hanoi, Vietnam last year.

The inclusion now of all 10 countries in the region finally fulfilled the "Asean 10" goal envisioned by Asean's founding fathers.

On the issue of the Asean foreign, economic and finance ministers participating, for the very first time, in a joint ministerial meeting (JMM), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the occasion seems indicative of even more intensive Asean cooperation in various vital fields.

"The special JMM will be an opportunity for three important sectoral ministers to intensify their coordination and synergy to ensure the region's economic recovery and sustained growth," the DFA said.

The JMM will be held Friday, November 26, at the summit venue, the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) as a runup to the Asean leaders' summit on Sunday, November 28, in the same venue.